[asia-apec 652] Van Sun: APEC protesters get labour cash

[David Webster]

 Last Updated: Saturday 12 September 1998      TOP STORIES
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B.C. Fed to help defend APEC protesters
The Vancouver Sun


Doug Ward Vancouver Sun

The B.C. Federation of Labour is giving $10,000 to a
campaign to raise legal funds for complainants in next
week's hearing into RCMP actions during the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation summit last year.
     [Image]
                  Federation president Ken Georgetti said Friday that the
     [Image]      anti-APEC protesters deserve legal counsel in the RCMP
                  Public Complaints Commission inquiry, set to begin
                  Monday.

                  "Someone has to come forward and allow these students to
                  pursue what is a very legitimate complaint," said
                  Georgetti.

                  "It's outrageous to expect that students at UBC can
                  afford the cost of justice in this circumstance."

                  The federal government has refused to fund legal counsel
                  for complainants. The probe will look at RCMP treatment
                  of student protesters at the University of B.C., which
                  hosted a portion of the APEC conference. Officers
                  pepper-sprayed protesters and in some cases subjected
                  them to strip searches.

                  Georgetti said the hearing is about an issue
                  traditionally important to the labour movement -- free
                  speech.

                  "The labour movement has a history of championing free
                  speech."

                  Georgetti said the federation intends to use some of the
                  money to carry out further fund-raising for the
                  students.

                  "And since we announced the donation this morning
                  [Friday], my office has been telling me that calls have
                  been coming in like crazy asking where to send the
                  money."

                  The complainants say they need up to $200,000 to have
                  adequate legal counsel. "It's a big relief," said
                  complainant Craig Jones. "But $10,000 is not going to do
                  it. So this is seed money and we want to make it grow."

                  Federation communications official Miriam Sobrino said
                  the federation does not normally provide money for legal
                  defence funds, but has donated money to social justice
                  causes in the past.

                  A federal court justice rejected a plea Thursday by
                  complainants to suspend the hearing. The student
                  protesters alleged that the commission's panel had a
                  bias because its members were appointed by the federal
                  government.

                  Many of the complainants are considering a boycott of
                  the hearing.

                  The protesters have alleged that the prime minister's
                  office ordered the RCMP to ensure that Indonesian
                  dictator Suharto was not embarrassed by demonstrations.

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